The Robbery of Self-Individualism in Black Woman, Research Paper Example

The Effect of Forcibly Assigned Stereotypical Roles Upon Black Woman

In the last couple of decades, African-American actors have secured some of the well-paid jobs in Hollywood.  Actors such as Jamie Fox, Viola Davis, Halle Berry, and Will Smith are among some of the most well paid African American actors in the world. To some level, these actors are considered icons of racial equality and black emancipation. Since the era of slavery, African Americans have struggled to find their identity as well as socio-economic and political position in the society. For centuries, Africans and African-Americans were considered unequal to the White majority and intellectually incapable of competing with the White Americans in the social-economic spectrum. Even though the position of the African-American community has tremendously improved, many believe this community is still affected by stereotypes –a factor that has hugely been influenced by the media. Studies show that African-Americans, especially the women, get film and theatre roles that undermine their socio-economic potential and position in the society. Books and movie writers have continually misrepresented the socio-economic position of African-American actresses, by giving them roles that make women from this community appear helpless and complete dependents of men.

Role of Black Women in Their Eyes Are Watching God.

Written in 1937, the novel tells the story of Janie Crowford, a young and ambitious African-American woman, who learns her life according to her values, as opposed to the societal norms and traditions.  It was set in the 1930s, it depicts a time when women rights and privileges were extremely limited and their positions stringently defined. Like other African-American women for this era, Janie fights to find her identity and position in the changing society. Her tactics are considered as rebellions and indecent in the American society. According to societal norms of this era, African-American women were expected to uphold the image of submissive, uneducated, and uncultured individuals, whose existence was to serve the men in their lives. According to the societal norms of this era, and ideal African-American woman was devoted, docile, and subservient. In this society, women were responsible for the comfort and happiness of men and the many believed that these responsibilities brought pleasure to women. According to various scholars, this perception towards women affected the socio-economic and political position of the women, as men generally dictated their roles.

In her desire for liberation and a better life, the protagonist does not follow the social norms expected of the traditional Victorian women. Crawford goes against social traditions and norms, and chooses to like a different life. She is seen engaging in sexual relationships with different men, in her bid to find her identity. Having grown up in an environment surrounded by white children, Crawford considers herself one of them. However, her grandmother reveals the differences between her,(generally African American women) and the majority group. On her sixteenth birthday, he grandmother prepares her for marriage and it at this point that she understands the social economic between the two races. She learns that her skin color dictates her life. Her grandmother, an individual from a different era understands these differences, and tells her that “…so the white man throw down the load and tell the nigger to pick it up. He pick it up because he have to, but he don’t tote it. He hand it to his womenfolk. De Nigger woman is the mule ud de world so fuh as he can see” (Nuale 44). The statement is a piece of advice the old woman offers to her grandchild. She advices her that even though she might not like the treatment she might receive from the white Americans, her responsibility is to follow the societal norms unquestionably. The scene highlights a vital concept about women from this era. The aptitude of African-American women to act based on norms of the society was more vital and fighting for issues such as racial and gender equality. In fact, it was the only way that guaranteed the survival of the African-American community

Misconception of Black Women

Through the years, many scholars have criticized the depiction of women and the black societal norms in this story. While historical records show that women were considered second-class citizens whose responsibilities were limited to the domestic sphere, critics argue that approximately 95% of married women were actively involved in waged labor. By the beginning of the 19^th century, the majority of women worked outsides their homes. Noteworthy, factors such as sexual discrimination were rampant in this era. Women’s rights and privileges were extremely limited, and women from different socio-economic spheres were sexually and financially disadvantaged. In some instances, marriages were considered contracts, and it was impossible for women to get out of abusive relationships. However, women rights groups fought for socio-economic freedom, and over time changed the structure of the society. The efforts of these group liberated many women from abusive relationships, sexual violence, and socio-economic deprivation. In her book, Bronte focused too much on the archaic norms and traditions rampant in the early 1800s and failed to highlight the changes that the British society witnessed later in the century. To many readers, the black woman was a helpless individual, whose sole purpose was to please the men in their lives, bear children, and perform household chores. The novel fails to educate the society, or rather, highlight some of the socio-economic strides undertaken by black women and men to change the social norms of the society and ensure that black woman’s positions in the society were respected and uplifted.

Stereotypical Roles of African-American Women

Even before the growth of the film industry, African-American women were used to sell an inaccurate image of the Southern plantation lifestyle. Many scholars portrayed Africans and African-American women slaves as non-threatening and inferior individuals, incapable of competing with their masters in an economic, social, and political spectrum. Many books written during this era showed an extremely negative image of African-American women. According to Velma Thomas, “The Black Madonna and the Role of Women,” he argues that the need to support the issue of slavery influenced writers to portray and adversely negative image of the African-American women (Thomas 128). Considering the difference of opinion between southern and northern American states on the issue of slavery, writers and filmmakers used different tactics to create an image that would appeal to both sides. Therefore, this led to the creation of a non-threatening servant, who existed to serve their masters. Today, many books and films still portray African-American women as lesser individuals.

Stereotypes of African-American Actresses

Throughout history, the stereotype of women from the African-American community has played a vital role in the United States, as they are used to justify social and economic structures, for instance, segregation and slavery. The unflattering depictions of these actresses pacified the conscience of the majority group and helped to justify the oppression of African-American women. Famous depictions have through the years been used in political and cultural settings, to further show the adverse differences between African-Americans and the Whites, as well as the continued dominance of Whites over the African-American community. Studies argue that none of these stereotypes show the actual nature of African-American women and the society in general (Prekel 50).They are nothing more than misrepresentations of the African-American women that lack the nuance or the in-depth understanding of what it entails to be a black woman in the modern society.

Technological advancement such as the internet and televisions have contributed to the growth of these stereotypes in the society. Female characters in books and films portray a one-sided image, and it is these distortions that pose the biggest challenge for African-American actresses. Additionally, the way these women are portrayed in print media, as well as televisions, continues to affect the role and position of black women in the society. In many films, especially those depicting the post-war period, black women usually play the roles of servants and maids forced to work in homes belonging to their white masters. Their duties are portrayed as cleaning, cooking, taking care of their master’s wives, and in some cases, engaging in extra-marital affairs with their masters. In reality, these characters were often children, separated from their families and forced to work for their masters. In novels and films depicting the slavery era, black characters usually play uneducated and uncultured individuals, who lacked the intellectual capacity to reason or engage in beneficial conversations with the White Americans.

The liberation of African-Americans from slavery gave this community the right to the same socio-economic and political privileges as the majority. It also created the need for writers and filmmakers to create another image for African-American actors. According to historical records, even though the abolishment of slavery gave the African-American community equal rights in the American society, they still had to deal with issues such as discrimination and the struggle for equality, a factor that led to the rise of the “Angry Black Woman.” Simply put, the Angry Black Women is a notion that depicts African-American women as ill-mannered, vivacious and tempered by nature. Studies have shown the “Angry Black Woman” film depiction is racist and portrays African-American women as angry and aggressive. Sadly, this notion has not been effectively studied since many scholars perceive it to be true. It is a stereotypical, pernicious, and a dangerous perception, that was used by political opponents of the former president, Barrack Obama, to taint the image of Michelle Obama. According to the American society, the Angry Black woman is loud, unreasonable, and gives the society the right to dismiss the feelings, views, values, and concerns of African-American women. Not surprisingly, this label is used to undercut the success of professional African-American women.

The continued negative perception of African-American actresses has affected the perception of the society towards the African American community. In his article, “The Role of Black Women in the Economy” Prekel Truida shows that a vast number of the modern population believes that black women are too aggressive and in most cases angry (Prekel 48). Films such as “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta, Empire, and Scandal” all portray black actresses as angry and short-tempered. In fact, the storyline of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” revolves around Porsha’s anger management. Many African-American actresses have joined hands to change the societal perception of African-American women, by advocating for roles that show a different image of their community. While addressing the issues, Oprah Winfrey maintained that the “Angry Black Woman” label treats African-American women as stubborn, inconsiderate, and impossible to relate to (Graham). She further referred to the concept as lame, sinister, and a cowardly way of discriminating against a group, which has had to deal with many other socio-economic and political challenges.

The misrepresentation of African-American actress in books and films has continually affected the roles and positions of black women in the society. However, historical records have shown that these women were also actively involved in building and changing the socio-economic structure of the society. On the other hand, the portrayal of African-Americans women as servants and “Angry Black Women” has continually affected the image of Black women in the modern society. However, African-American activists have continued to fight for a better depiction of black women in the media.

Works Cited

Freeman, Macy. “Reality TV Gives the ‘angry Black Woman’ a Bad Name. Sometimes Anger is a Good Thing.” Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2017, www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2017/10/27/reality-tv-gives-the-angry-black-woman-a-bad-name-sometimes-anger-is-a-good-thing/?utm_term=.8a146015e27a.

Graham, Stacie. “The ‘angry Black Woman’ Cliche is Still at Work.” The Guardian, 8 Aug. 2017, www.theguardian.com/women-in-leadership/2015/dec/03/why-the-angry-black-woman-cliche-has-no-place-at-work.

Hurston, Zora N. Their Eyes Are Watching God. HarperCollins, 1990.

Prekel, Truida. “The Role of Black Women in the Economy.” Black Advancement in the South African Economy, 1986, pp. 31-51.

Thomas, Velma M. “The Black Madonna and the Role of Women.” Albert Cleage Jr. and the Black Madonna and Child, 2016, pp. 117-134.